1 November 2012

Labour’s Deputy Leader Harriet Harman was in Ilford on Saturday 27 October for the celebration event at Ilford Golf Club for Mike Gapes 20 years as Member of Parliament. 150 Party members enjoyed a meal and an evening of music and general celebration.

Harriet spoke of Mike’s years of work for Labour, and how he had raised the Labour majority from a mere 402 when first unexpectedly elected in this former Tory stronghold in 1992 to more than 11,000 today.

Mike is an avid West Ham supporter and was presented with a signed and framed shirt. The room was decorated in claret and blue.

This year we managed to achieve having a Labour Mayor and Deputy, despite the Tory/Lib Dem coalition running the Council. Speaking as Mayor, Cllr. Muhammed Javed spoke of Mike’s dedication to the community.

In his message of thanks Mike spoke of the problems now being faced by Ilford people and the need to unite to work and defeat the Tories and LibDems to form a new Labour Government in 2015.

Thanks are due to the Musicians Union, the staff at the Ilford Golf Club and everyone who worked to make the event a success.

Our photo’s show Mike receiving his shirt from Harriet and Cllr. Dev Sharma. Harriet and Mike talking to GMB Stewards at their table, Mike with his mother and Harriet Harman and the Mayoress (top), and Mike and Harriet with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Cllrs.Muhammad Javed and Elaine Norman.

11 June 2012

The London elections may be over but Labour Party members are still out campaigning. This month the focus is on Valentines Ward. Councillors and local members will be out speaking to residents and delivering the latest newsletter.

If you have an issue you want to raise with your local councillors, wherever you live in Ilford South, find their contact details here.

If you live in Valentines Ward and want to get more involved, you could register as a Party Supporter for free. This would mean you will be kept informed of all forthcoming Party events. If introduced by an existing member you could join the Labour Party for £15 for the first year. Ring 020 8911 0899 or email contact@ilfordouthlabour.org.uk if you want more information.

The photographs show Party members running a stall at the successful Redbridge Green Fair, held at the beginning of the month in Valentines Park.

5 May 2012

The elections on Thursday 3rd May saw Mandy Richards, Labour’s candidate for the Havering and Redbridge seat on the Greater London Assembly, reduce Conservative Roger Evans majority from 43,025 in 2008 down to just 3,899.

This fantastic result was due to the extremely hard work of Mandy and Labour Party members in the constituency since she was selected as the candidate in 2010. There was a disappointing turnout on the day, down by more than 8% from 2008. Yet, in Havering & Redbridge, Labour achieved an astonishing increase of 39%, or nearly 14,000 votes.

By comparison, the Tories’ vote fell by 32%, losing 25,000 votes.

The Liberal Democrat vote was down by a devastating 48% to just 6,453 votes as they trailed in 5th behind UKIP and the London Residents Association. With less than 5% of the vote they have lost their deposit.

The elections for the GLA have left the Labour Party across London with 12 seats, Conservatives 9, Green Party 2 and Liberal Democrats 2. Boris Johnson was re-elected as London Mayor, but only after a much closer run race with Labour’s Ken Livingstone than anyone had been predicting.

May 3rd also saw Labour making huge gains in Council seats all over England, Scotland and Wales, with poor results for both the national coalition government parties.

Voters are making it clear to the Tory/Lib Dem parties that the austerity measures are hurting, but they’re not working. The recent budget gives tax breaks to the wealthiest but raises taxes for millions of families, proving the lie in the government’s “we’re all in it together” message.

“A massive thanks from Debbie and me for all the hard work from everybody who turned up throughout the month. This was won by activists getting out on the doorstep and meeting voters so it wouldn’t have happened without the help of those who volunteered!

This victory is an excellent platform for next years GLA and Mayoral election and a big step towards full control of the Council in 2014. Hope to see some of you at our GC next Wednesday when you can meet our new councillor and Iain McNicol the Labour Party general secretary.”

3 June 2011

Mandy Richards a Labour activist from Hackney has been selected to fight the Havering and Redbridge GLA Seat in the 2012 election.

Mandy says:-

â€˜In 2012 we must return Ken Livingstone as Labour Mayor and reclaim Labourâ€™s legacy now hijacked by Boris Johnson. I aim to be a catalyst for community campaigning, fighting to protect and strengthen community policing, promoting regeneration and social enterprise, and working towards real community cohesion by building trust and engaging the young and disenfranchised through inclusive politicsâ€™

True to her word Mandy is now a regular campaigner in our area. Here we see her at work with local Party members in Valentines and Cranbrook wards with Cllrs. Aziz Choudhury, Ross Hatfull, and Mushtaq Ahmed.

Whilst all the recent focus has been on the Queen in Ireland and meeting President Obama, a campaign involving the royal household has received much less attention.

The Public and Commercial Services Union ( PCS) have been campaigning for all the cleaners in the royal household to be paid the London Living Wage. Cleaners in the Houses of Parliament earn the recommended living wage for London of Â£7.85 per hour. The Union represents most of the employees in the royal household but not historically the cleaners who are employed by two private contractors. Following an approach from some employees the union began receiving applications for membership from among the cleaners and a range of issues about working conditions and health and safety issues were raised.

PCS mounted a campaign to tie in with the Royal Wedding . There is an on line petition, tube stations and staff entrances to the Palace have been leafleted. The latest announcement from one of the contractors is that â€˜efficienciesâ€™ are being looked at in order to improve salaries. The fear is that efficiencies means job cuts.

Redbridge Councillor Andy Walker has visited Buckingham Palace to hand in a letter signed by local union representatives and Labour Councillors from London boroughs including himself and Cllr. Balvinder Saund from Seven Kings Ward.

The letter read:-

â€˜I have read press reports that the Royal Household is considering lifting the pay of Royal cleaners to the London Living Wage.

I would be welcome if you could tell me whether you have any such plans as I would welcome such a developmentâ€™

Cllr. Balvinder Saund, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group said

â€˜Low pay is a big issue for women, these are the people who clean not only palaces but supermarkets and offices. Employers paying the higher London Living Wage will make a real difference to women and their families across London. The Tories are supposed to support the London Living Wage, but when it came to signing a letter encouraging the Palace to pay the cleaners a better wage not a single local Tory signed. A Labour administration would pay the London Living Wage to Council employees and ask firms who contract with the Council whether they pay at least the London Living Wage to their employees.â€™

Mike Gapes M.P. said:-

â€˜ I am pleased to give my support to this campaign. The cost of housing and living costs make London a very expensive place to live. All workers including those working for the Royal family should be paid a living wageâ€™

28 March 2011

Ilford South sent a large contingent to the TUC ‘March for the Alternative for Jobs Growth and Justice’ on Saturday March 26th. Our banner had its first outing in many years on its newly restored poles and attracted a bit of attention from photographers as we still have an embroidered one…none of this new fangled plastic! It was an enjoyable day for all and it was clear that the Police estimates of 250,000 quoted in some newspapers were way off the mark. It was easily 450,000. The first marchers were arriving at Hyde Park before we had even left the embankment.

If you missed out on this join us again in the march to save King George Hospital starting at Queens Hospital Romford at 4 p.m. on Friday 8 April and arriving at Ilford Town Hall for the rally addressed by all the local M.P’s at 6 p.m.

Today’s March for the Alternative, organised by the Trades Union Congress, is expected to be the largest civil society demonstration in many years. And Labour Party members from Ilford South will be there carrying the Ilford South banner. Not everyone can join the march. Whether youâ€™re attending the march or not you can help create an online protest that matches that on the street. Here are some suggestions, courtesy of False Economy.